The birch tree in spring is not only the subject of numerous poetic reflections, but the tree is actually in a crucial phase during the light season. Find out how the birch looks in spring, what is good for it at this time of year and what you should avoid.
How does the birch tree look in spring and how do you care for it?
In spring, the birch is in its prime, with male catkins emerging from hibernation and female catkins emerging. Birch care includes adequate watering and sunlight, but pruning should be avoided as this leads to unnecessary water loss.
State of the birch in spring
For birches, as for most living things, spring is a phase of maximum activity. Your entire system is running at full speed, nutrient-rich water is pumped intensively through the tree so that new shoots, birch flowers and young leaves can develop. In spring the birch is in its blooming season.
The male kittens, already fully formed from the fall of the previous year, emerge from hibernation, while new female kittens emerge. You can see the approximately ten centimeter long and intense yellow-orange male flowers on the older shoots from March to May. At the tips of young new shoots you will discover the shorter and more inconspicuous female catkins. They hang noticeably or stand very upright. After fertilization, the typical winged birch nuts emerge from June.
Since birch trees reproduce exclusively via the wind, the distribution of yellowish pollen is also characteristic of birch trees in spring. Therefore, a practical spring tip is of course: cover surfaces or, if possible, put them out of reach of the pollen if the yellow coating bothers you. Pollen allergy sufferers notice well in advance that the season is approaching due to relevant symptoms.
Properly care for birch trees in spring
Care measures such as the use of fertilizer are usually not necessary. Just make sure that your birch tree has enough water, as it needs it in abundance during this active time. Sufficient sun is also always an advantage for light-hungry trees.
What you should avoid at this special time of year is cutting the birch. Although this doesn't generally cause any damage, it is more likely to be left in the hands of experienced gardeners. Because the trees try so hard to pump as much liquid as possible into their outermost tips in spring, the birch would “bleed” unnecessarily during spring pruning. This means that the water would run out of the interfaces and give the impression of bleeding or crying.